[Oe List ...] Methodists make history

[W. J.]

I was wondering why your history didn't include Rev. Don Fado of St. Mark's United Methodist Church in Sacramento, who performed the January 1999 wedding of church members Ellie Charlton, 64, and Jeanne Barnett, 69, along with 68 other United Methodist clergy.
I was on the record as one of them, but because I had a direct schedule conflict, I was listed as a "co-officiant in absentia." My bishop decided that since I wasn't physically there, there was no basis for a complaint.
This event was the first of its kind, and the outcome was that now retired Bishop Talbert (who was formerly charged yesterday) eventually dropped all charges against the 68 clergy.
Now the Sacramento area Methodist churches have openly declared their policy of noncompliance with the Discipline, and so far nobody has been charged. My political point is that "unconditional surrender" has already happened, and that everybody knows there's no way put hundreds of offending clergy on trial in this annual conference.
I would count the 'Sacramento 68' as a significant piece of Methodist history. This was the first time that 'ecclesiastical disobedience' went unpunished after charges were filed, and yet you didn't mention it.
W. M. Jones


________________________________
 From: Obie Holmen <obie.holmen at gmail.com>
To: W. J. <synergi at yahoo.com> 
Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2014 9:14 AM
Subject: Re: Methodists make history
 


Thanks for your interesting comment. The IRD/Good News nexus--Lambrecht, Tooley, Lomperis, et. al--is fascinating and receives major treatment in both the Episcopal and Methodist sections of my recent book, Queer Clergy.



On Fri, Mar 14, 2014 at 7:55 PM, W. J. <synergi at yahoo.com> wrote:

I wrote a longer comment on the dynamics in the United Methodist system. Thought you might like to read it.
>It's on the page with your article.
>W. M. Jones
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>________________________________
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-- 
Obie Holmen
320-492-6660
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